ARGENTINE President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner's speech at the opening session of the United Nations in New York yesterday threatened the airlink between the Falklands and Chile.

She indicated she will wait a little longer and then feel obliged to revise what she referred to as the provisional agreements still in force over the Falklands - unless Britain agrees to negotiate over Falklands sovereignty, as called for by UN resolutions.

The airlink exists under the auspices of the 1999 communications agreement over the Falklands between Britain and Argentina, which allows the weekly LanChileflights to the Islands. Argentine media andUruguayan Press Agency Mercopress, interpret her speech to mean that Argentina would put a stop to this air service,unless it achieves sovereignty negotiations over the Falklands.

The Falklands response will be reported in Penguin News tomorrow, Friday September 23 (Vol 23 No 17)